


Welcome to Edgetown

by hanjikyo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M, dad!Kris, fem!Junmyeon, fem!Minseok, fem!Seokjin - Freeform, kid!Tao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 08:20:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20579399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanjikyo/pseuds/hanjikyo
Summary: Kim Junhee is an English teacher and a crime novelist under the pseudonym of Suho Kim. She lives in Edgetown, a small town just outside of Seoul with her orange tabby and two dogs.Wu Yifan is a private investigator who recently moved to Edgetown for a case.Your guess is as good as mine on what happens next.





	Welcome to Edgetown

**YIFAN**

**Half a month before the start of the school year.**

“So that’s it, then;” Wu Yifan reads through the notepad he’s holding, his eyes scanning the details once more before tossing the little notepad unto his desk. He starts drumming his fingers against the top of his mahogany desk, watching the man seated right across from him. 

The man was dressed impeccably - too impeccably for this side of Seoul - Yifan thought. As he watches the man fidget in the $2 seat he has in his office, Yifan couldn’t help but find it amusing how out of place the man is. His office was, granted, not equipped with the finest technology. The most expensive thing was his desk - a sturdy and well-varnished mahogany piece that he had custom-made when he decided to be a private investigator. Everything else he found in dollar stores and from the nice old ladies in his neighborhood. Then there was the clutter that never seems to disappear. There are papers everywhere; tacked on the wall, piled up on the table behind him, and even stuffed inside the rusty filing cabinets on his left. Then there are the drawings his son, Zitao, gives him every now and then and a few stray toys on the floor. 

The man, on the other hand, looked spotless. His hair was combed neatly and the suit he was wearing was well pleated and ironed. The briefcase he held was not new but it was obviously well-maintained. The moment he entered Yifan’s office, he was stiff but courteous. He stood and sat pin-straight and not once did he make any unnecessary movement. When Yifan offered him anything to drink, the man politely declined but without Yifan not missing the look of disgust to the linoleum counter and stools with kitchen equipment that served as the office pantry as if he was going to catch something if he touched something from it. If Yifan was being honest, he looked like one of those butlers in the English mystery shows he and Zitao love to watch every Friday night. 

Then again, that shouldn’t be of any of his concern since the man has a job for him and, by the looks of it, a lucrative one too. 

“Yes, Mr. Wu, that’s it.” The man folds and unfolds his fingers on top of his briefcase that was resting on his lap. “My employer is expecting utmost discretion on this,” The man presses his lips as if the next word made him physically uncomfortable. “Job” He declares with finality. He opens his briefcase with a click and quickly fishes out a white crisp envelope. He hands it to Yifan. 

Yifan opens it to see a check. Clearly, this man and his “employer” know how private investigations work. 

The man stands up, shakes Yifan’s hand and quickly leaves. 

Yifan gives out a low whistle and slouches in his chair, an old leather number with squeaky wheels. He takes out the check and lays it down beside his notepad. 

A missing daughter, a business partner on the run, and missing company funds. 

It’s an easy job as it is - a common one amongst businessmen. 

The last sighting of the daughter was a small town just outside of the metro - Edgetown. 

“Well, I guess I’ll have to pack and look for the best school for Zitao in Edgetown, then.” 

  


**JUNHEE**

**A week before the start of the school year. **

“Do you really need all of this, Jun?” 

Kim Junhee chuckles as she lets her best friend - Minseo - go through the contents of her shopping bag. She just came from her customary back-to-school shopping and decided to pop in at Blooms Cafe to visit Minseo. 

“Of course I do.” Minseo gives her a disbelieving look as she puts the third bottle of lavender-scented surface cleaner and a jumbo pack of colored pens back into the canvas shopping bag. “When you’re a second-grade teacher, you need all the surface cleaners you can get your hands on. Besides, it was half-off.” Junhee tries to reason out but she knew it was feeble. 

Her best friend could see right through her and she wouldn’t be surprised if she gets a video call from her sister, Seojin on why on earth she has enough surface cleaners to clean the whole school later tonight. Junhee always gets excited when school’s about to start. Well, too excited that, if it weren’t for MInseo and Seojin, she would’ve cleared out the back-to-school aisle at the department store. 

“So, how’s the book coming?” Minseo says, finally letting go of Junhee’s overexcited shopping spree and sitting across from her best friend. The two were seated at one of the window tables. It’s the perfect place, according to Minseo, for her to sit comfortably and have a great view of the whole cafe and the counter. The sunlight streaming from the spotless glass windows is a plus given that the airconditioning in the cafe is always on full blast and the sun rays give a perfect balance in terms of temperature. Of course, Minseo would know this since she owns the cafe and had a hand in how the place’s layout. 

“I’m six chapters in and I’ve already decided on my murder weapon on this one,” Junhee says as she takes a sip from her mug of cappuccino. “Although, I think it might still take a while before I finish the book. Especially now that school is starting.” 

Junhee is in her fourth mystery novel and, so far, all her books have reached the top ten bestsellers list in the country. There is immense pressure from her publishers that she make another one but Junhee has made it clear that her profession as a teacher would always be a priority over her profession as a novelist. 

“I’m sure you’ll find the time, Jun” Minseo smiles comfortingly at her best friend. “You always do. Besides, if you’re having writer’s block we could always shoot some writing prompts with the boys.” Minseo laughs. 

“Oh no. I will not have any of the three of you “help” me again.” Junhee’s eyes widen in fear. The last time they “shot some writing prompts” to help Junhee, they ended up with a visit from an extremely miffed Sehun who was called because there seemed to be a disturbance at Ms. Kim’s place. 

“Suit yourself.” Minseo shrugs. “If you ask me, the idea of a chimney caper was quite a good one.” The chinky-eyed girl reasons as she sneaks a sip from Junhee’s cappuccino. 

“Yeah, well so does Santa Claus.” 

Both girls laugh at the memory of one of their friends - Chanyeol - climbing down Junhee’s chimney, half-inebriated and getting stuck in the process. 

“Hey, it’s that new guy!” Minseo exclaims as she looks out the cafe window pass Junhee’s head. Junhee turns around to see who Minseo was referring to. The two girls watch as a tall man, modestly dressed in jeans, a polo shirt, and a dark grey coat, held the hand of a little boy and made their way to one of the shops across the road from the cafe. 

Just last week the man and his son moved into one of the units at the apartment complex near the school where Junhee works. Everyone was surprised, and delighted on the part of the town’s female demographic, because it’s not so often that Edgetown gets a new resident. Then again, the past month has been quite eventful in terms of new residences. Just a week and a half ago a young woman moved into one of the seaside cottages claiming that she was on a long holiday. Then there was the newlywed who brought the house near Junhee’s place. 

The son was enrolled in Junhee’s class placing the little boy at either seven or eight years old. Junhee has had a few run-ins with Mr. Wu and his son, Zitao, and the man was polite although a bit aloof for a small town. Zitao was a complete sweetheart, though, and Junhee’s already excited to be his teacher. 

“He is a dish, isn’t he?” Minseo sighs appreciatively. “Whoever left that man must’ve been out of their mind.” She says with finality, clearly still watching Mr. Wu. and his son go about their business from across the street. 

“How do you know someone left him?” Junhee looks at her best friend curiously. 

Minseo stops staring at Mr. Wu and finally faces Junhee. “Well, Ms. O’Grady heard from Victoria that Mr. Wu over there was once married but the wife left him when his son was still a baby.” Minseo’s voice lowers conspiratorially as she shares the bit of gossip with Junhee. “Then again, the man isn’t the sweetest person out there. He’s not the most social person either - turned down every dinner invitation that has come his way.” 

Junhee nods her head. She’s not one to gossip but her curiosity does get the best of her most of the time and she has noticed how antisocial Mr. Wu was in the instances she has had the opportunity to talk to him. 

Obviously, the story might not even be true but Junhee doesn’t have the heart nor the energy to banter about that with her best friend. Minseo has a habit of making assumptions once she hears a tidbit of gossip. By the looks of it, her best friend has already made one or two assumptions about the private Mr. Wu. 

As for Junhee, all she knows is that Mr. Wu seems to be a private person and he seems intent to keep it at that. 

~*~

Junhee has had a productive day. She spent a few hours with Minseo at her cafe, talking about anything and everything. Then she went grocery shopping and bumped into Chanyeol who offered to walk her home. Having a large man like Chanyeol as a best friend pays off especially when Junhee’s had been on one of her shopping trips. As payment, Junhee cooked one of her famous casseroles and had Chanyeol stay over for dinner. Then, as she expected, she did get a video call from Seojn lecturing her on her spending habits on school s why she needed all those bottles of surface cleaners. She did get a nice warm hello from Seojin’s husband, Namjoon, and her nephews Taehyung and Jimin so that was worth Seojin’s hour-long sermon. 

After saying goodbye to Seojin and her boys, and having bribed Chanyeol to take the trash out on his way home with one of her homemade fruit popsicles, Junhee decides to cap off her day with a bit of writing. She’s already fed the dogs and the cat but she makes a beeline for the kitchen just to refill their bowls and lock the backdoor. 

She refills Fletcher’s - her cat - bowl with milk and Byul’s - her border collie - and Kelly’s - her kelpie - water bowls. She grabs the bag of cat food and makes her way to her backyard porch to refill the food bowl she leaves for the town strays. She pours to fill the bowl and she looks around her surroundings before turning around and walking back into her house. 

She closes her backdoor and pulls down the blinds. As she makes her way through her kitchen, she hears a sharp pounding on her backdoor. 

Her heart starts pounding while her brain ran a mile on who or what could possibly be banging at her backdoor at this time of night. 

_ Who in the world? It’s probably the stray cats wanting a word on my new choice of cat food. Oh, come now Junhee, cats can’t knock on doors. What if it’s a burglar or worse a killer. Should I open the door? No, I should call the police. I should check first who it is. You never know, it might be the police, doing a search party for someone. _

Junhee grabs the first thing she could find that she thinks she could use to defend herself if the occasion calls for it. She slowly walks to her backdoor, her grip tightening on her makeshift weapon and her mind already calculating how long it would take to run to the telephone and call the police, and grabs a hold of the blinds’ string. The rapping becomes louder and Junhee could swear her heart is now situated in her ear. 

She pulls the blinds down and lets it furl up to reveal the face of a frantic-looking man. 

His hair was a mess and so was his clothes. He’s sporting a cut lip and his knuckles that he was using to knock was bone-white.

Junhee knew the man. How could she not?

“Mr. Wu?” 


End file.
